doi.org
Effects of Class-Wide Peer Tutoring on Motor Performance of Students Without a Disability and Students With Down Syndrome in Inclusive Physical Education Classes
Introduction: This study explored the effect of class-wide peer tutoring (CWPT) on motor skill learning in students without disabilities (SWD) and students with Down syndrome (DS) compared with a teacher-centered (TC) approach during inclusive physical education classes. Methods: SWD (N = 146) and students with DS (N = 8) aged 8–11 from eight classes participated in an intervention study in the context of physical education. Motor skill scores on the juggling task of SWD were analyzed by means of a 2 (groups: TC vs. CWPT) × 3 (time: pre/post/retention) repeated measures analysis of variance. Nonparametric Mann–Whitney U tests were applied for the scores of the students with DS. Results: The significant Group × Time interaction, F(2, 288) = 80.934, p < .001, ηp2=.36) indicated a large effect, with SWD in the CWPT group demonstrating greater improvement over time compared with the TC group. Students with DS in the CWPT group outperformed their peers in the TC group at both the posttest and retention test (post: U = 0.000, p = .017; retention: U = 0.000, p = .017). Conclusion: CWPT positively affects motor skill learning for SWD as well as for students with DS in the context of physical education.
